Modern data centers house large numbers of computer servers, typically in frame racks, in which a plurality of servers are mounted in a closely spaced relation. In operation the densely arranged servers generate substantial heat, which must be removed in order to prevent overheating and malfunction of the equipment. The individual server units generally are provided with internal fans, which pull cooling air through the unit. However, because of the high density of the equipment, it is customary to provide substantial air conditioning systems to supply cooled air to the fronts of the racks, available to be drawn through the individual servers by their internal fans.
Operating efficiency of the cooling systems has become an increasing problem as the power output of the servers has been progressively increased and the expense of cooling them has become very meaningful. A significant aspect of controlling cooling costs is the prevention or minimization of mixing of the supplied cool air with warm air in the data center, without the cool air having been passed through a server and absorbed its heat. Where mixing is allowed to occur outside of the servers, the capacity of the A/C equipment must be enlarged, at increased capital expense up front, and the efficiency of the A/C equipment is compromised by the lower temperature differential between the air supplied to and delivered by the A/C equipment.
Among the techniques employed at modern data centers are hot-air-cold air aisles, hot air containment and cold air containment. For the hot-air-cold air aisles, servers are arranged side-by-side in rows. Two rows of servers are oriented back to back, with cool air being supplied to the fronts of the rows (cold aisles) and warm air being collected in the hot aisle between the two rows and returned to the A/C unit. This technique represents an improvement over previous arrangements but still permits considerable quantities of the cool air to bypass the servers and mix with warm air.
The hot air containment procedure is similar to the above but involves completely closing off the hot aisle at the top and ends, to further reduce the amount of cool air permitted to return without passing through a server, while allowing the cool air to be present generally throughout the room. Warm air from the enclosed hot aisle is ducted back to the A/C unit and a relatively high efficiency is achieved. In some cases warm air is ducted out of the backs of each of the server cabinets and returned to the A/C unit. Cold air containment is similar to the hot air containment procedure, except that the cold air is contained in an aisle space and warm air is present throughout the room. This procedure is not as widely used as hot air containment because the presence of the warm air generally throughout the room makes for an uncomfortable working environment.
Even in relatively efficient systems, such as hot air containment, there still can be significant efficiency losses. For example, in some cases the server racks or cabinets have wheels of leveling legs at the bottom, which elevate the racks above the floor and provide a path for substantial amounts of cool air to bypass the servers and combine directly with the hot air. Such losses have become an increasing issue as the power of the servers has been increased and along with that the power of the A/C systems and the increased pressure differentials utilized therein. There has been a definite need for a sealing device that can be quickly and easily attached at the front and/or back of a server rack or cabinet, to seal off the space between the floor and the bottom of the rack and prevent the flow of bypass air underneath the rack or cabinet.